1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to a messaging system to improve message transmission efficiency, speed, and accuracy from a mobile communication device.
2. Background Art
There are a variety of mobile communication devices available for wireless, or remote, communications, such as mobile telephones and pagers, hereinafter referred to as “mobiles”. Mobiles typically comprise a rigid housing enclosing a printed circuit board, an associated microprocessor, electronic and electro-acoustic components, and a portable power supply such as a battery. Mobiles communicate through a variety of means, including antennas which transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals, infrared (IR) emitters and receivers, and cable connections to input/output ports on computers or to other mobiles. The user interfaces with the circuitry and microprocessor of the mobile through a keypad, or touchpad, located on the front outer surface of the housing. Keys on the keypad are pressed by the user to temporarily close an internal switch and send a signal to the microprocessor of the mobile where an appropriate routine processes the input and activates the mobile. On mobile telephones, graphical elements, such as alphanumeric characters and icons, are located on or near the keys of the keypad to guide the user in interfacing with the mobile. For example, keys are identified with the numbers 0–9, letters of the alphabet, and the pound and asterisk symbols. A display on the mobile housing provides readouts of data input by the user, access to spatially-navigated menu trees, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), windows, and messaging.
As mobile designs have advanced, more features are provided to the user, such as the ability to program, store and transmit information to other mobiles, computers, servers, and over the Internet. Typically, spatially-navigated menus shown on the display aid the user in inputting data, and also aid the user in accessing data for revision or transmission. To make use of these features requires an increasing number of keystrokes and more detailed information on the display for the user to interface with the mobile. On mobile telephones specifically, more features have led to the need for more keys. As the number of keys on the keypad of mobile telephones has increased, the density of the keys within a given surface area has increased and the size of each key has decreased. Key spacing is further compromised as mobiles are made more compact to reduce weight and improve portability.
Due to the size of mobiles and the limited amount of key space on such devices, it is often difficult to enter data or text messages into a mobile in an efficient manner. For example, to enter a textual message on a mobile telephone, the user typically accesses the appropriate message menu offered in the menu hierarchy and then keys in the textual data by pressing the alphanumeric keys of the keypad. Often, the key must be pressed more than once to input the correct letter as one key may represent as many as three letters. For example, the same key may represent the number “2” as well as the three letters “A,” “B,” and “C” Further, most mobile telephones limit the number of characters per message, requiring the user to express the message as succinctly as possible. The increased number of functions performed by each key, and the limited number of characters available per message, further contribute to the cumbersome nature of entering and transmitting a textual message. In order to increase message entry efficiency, users often resort to shorthand to relay the message, for example, “IC” may be entered to represent “I see.”
To improve the efficiency of text message transmission between mobiles, a variety of “short message systems” (SMS) have been designed for rapid text entry. Early applications of SMS were used by telephone operators to alert subscribers to newly received voice mail messages or stored facsimiles by displaying a simple message on the mobile display that the user saw once the mobile was turned on. Later applications of SMS provide users with a list of default messages that are chosen by a single keystroke in order to be sent, for example, “please call home.” Upon choosing the predefined message, the sending mobile automatically sends it to the receiving mobile. Short message systems have been implemented for the transmission of messages from the Internet, computers, and from messaging services of communication service providers. One advantage of an SMS is that the receiving mobile need not be active in order to receive the message. The sent message is stored in the communication system until the receiving mobile is switched to the “On” position. The message is then automatically received, stored on the receiving mobile, and displayed on its screen.
Difficulties with present SMS systems include the inability to edit or revise the predefined messages stored in the system to communicate a more precise message. Another difficulty arises when the message is transmitted in a single language. With increased global communication, it would be useful if messages could be received in a selected language. Prior art systems do not provide this capability.
An efficient method of transmitting messages between users of mobiles is needed where the number of keystrokes is minimized and the ability to tailor the message is preserved. The ability to send messages in a particular language is also needed. Accordingly, there is a need to be able to customize and translate predefined messages into other languages for enhanced communication between mobile users.